Russian experts deny losing Indian arms tender

Recently, several Indian publications reported that
Moscow had lost tenders for heavy combat and transport helicopters and planes.
Rosoboronexport dismisses this information saying that the results of both
tenders have not been announced yet.

Information about Russia allegedly having lost the
tenders appeared in the Indian press in early-November. The reason mentioned
was that Russian aircraft did not meet New Delhi’s requirements. The Russian defence
company declared that both the updated version of the MI-26 transport
helicopter (MI26T2) and the modernised air refueller Ilyushin-78 (Ilyushin-78MK)
fully met India’s technological requirements. Rosoboronexport emphasised that
the information about US and European aircraft winning the tender was not true.

This is not the first case of such misinformation,
military observer Viktor Baranets tells The Voice of Russia. He says that
rumours are usually spread exactly when Russia stands a good chance of winning
tenders. “I can’t remember a single time in the countries where we sell weapons
when deals with Russia were not preceded by misrepresentations or just blatant
lies,” Baranets says. “Sales of weapons are always accompanied by information
wars. Rumours are usually run by those who would like to sow the seeds of
discord between Russia and India or those who are risking the loss of their own
contracts.”

Baranets adds: “Russia is the second largest exporter
of weapons in the world after the US. We have managed to preserve this position
in spite of the economic crisis and the growing competition on the part of
Beijing. New Delhi is Moscow’s main partner in this sphere. Over a quarter of
Russian export of weapons falls on India. In addition, there are some joint
projects. There are certain contradictions, of course, but they are solved on
the partnership basis.”

70 percent of the Indian Army’s tanks are of
Russian origin and that the tanks have been tested in all temperatures,
according to Baranets. “Where US Abrams tanks started ‘suffocating’ on the
second kilometre Russian ones completed shooting successfully and accomplished
a long march at a temperature of plus 50 degrees Celsius,” Baranets says. “US
experts themselves admit that Russian planes and helicopters excel American ones
in some military components.”

Baranets admits that there were minor glitches in
the defence relationship between the countries. “Speaking frankly, Indians have
certain complaints, for example, about the Vikramaditya aircraft carrier but
the main thing is that we enjoy mutual understanding and India continues buying
our weapons.”

Naturally, this stable situation does not make
Washington happy, political scientist Vladimir Evseyev believes. And India is
playing on contradictions so as to obtain the best deal and frequently declares
the need for diversifying the deliveries, he says.

Evseyev says: “We have long-term contracts and
India means to continue cooperation with Russia in the field of shipbuilding.
However, the US defence and industrial complex is interested in taking over
these contracts. It is possible that some pressure is exerted on India with the
use of both political levers, including the course of building strategic
partnership, and the fact that Russia is expanding its contacts with Pakistan.”

Evseyev speaks of another “information scandal”
regarding deliveries of Russian military equipment. “Some media reported the
failure of a multi-billion contract which Moscow had signed with Baghdad. The
allegation was that the contract had been cancelled due to suspicions of corruption,”
he said. “Later, the Iraqi authorities announced that the problem sprang up due
to some internal difficulties, such as procrastination on the part of Iraq. Now
an investigation is being carried out there but it will not affect the
fulfilment of the contract.”